Striking clock



May 4, 1965 H. JUNGHANS ErAL 3,181,499

STRIKING CLOCK me@ July 1e, 1962 4 sheets-sheet 1 H. JUNGHANS ETAL 3,181,499

STRIKING CLOCK May 4, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 16, 1962 Ziel- L STRIKING CLOCK 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 16, 1962 INVENTORQ Tny sws By 6 672:1 S Ef- May 4, 1965 H. JUNGHANS ETAL 3,181,499

STRIKING CLOCK Filed July 16, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 mms/Tom H. Jung z-ms BY fZ-zscf- WM d @Lf/gi ZM/Cf United States Patent O Filed July 16, 1962, Ser. No. 210,097 Claims priority, applicatizon Germany, July 25, 1961, J 291 s claims. (cl. 11s- 169) The invention relates to striking clocks, especially stand and wall clocks with extremely flat cases, such as, for example, so-called cord clocks. For such clocks the inventor has already conceived the idea, now forming part of the known state of the art, of arranging the gong block and diaphragm beside the clockwork mechanism, mounting the base of the membrane and the plane of the gong rods so that they extend perpendicularly to the back wall of the clock and providing sound holes or louvers in the sides of the clock case. According to another likewise known suggestion of the inventor, a plate forming the Whole or part of the rear wall and preferably also the door of the clock case is constructed as carrier for the clockwork mechanism, gong block and diaphragm, when in this case, however, the gong block and its rods extend substantially diametrically across the conical diaphragm opening towards the rear side of the clock and the clockwork mechanism is mounted on pillars over this aggregate, necessitating a considerable depth for the clock case.

The object of the invention is to produce an arrangement of the gong block, the gong rods and the diaphragm in which, in spite of the clock case being of comparatively very shallow depth, determined by the constructional height of the clockwork mechanism, a large surface diaphragm with sound radiation towards the rear wall of the case can be accommodated.

Another object of the invention is to produce safety and strike cut-out devices adapted to the novel gong and diaphragm arrangement.

According to the invention, with the known arrangement of the gong block beside the clockwork mechanism with the gong rod plane extending perpendicularly to the rear wall plate and likewise known oval-conical diaphragm and arrangement thereof beside the clockwork mechanism, the gong block is made of elongated rod shape and its main axis and the longitudinal axis of the diaphragm opening form approximately a right angle.

With such a mutual arrangement of the clockwork mechanism and sound producing body it is possible to accommodate a multiple rod gong and a large surface conical diaphragm taking up about one quarter of the rear wall area, beside and substantially at the same height as the clockwork mechanism and thus produce in an extremely flat case, acoustic effects of a volume and quality of tone hitherto unobtainable.

Further features of the invention relate to the resilient suspension of the gong block on the rear wall plate, safety devices for transport and strike cut-out. They will be hereinafter described in connection with an embodiment of the invention illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which FIG, 1 is an elevation of the inner side of the rear wall plate with the gong and diaphragm elements secured thereto;

FIG. 2 a vertical cross-section taken on line II-Il of FIG. 1, the clock case, which is only partly shown, being in position bearing against a wall, and

FIG. 3 an elevation of the rear side of the rear wall plate shown in FIG. l, while FIGS. 4 and 5 show the rear wall plate in horizontal 3,181,499 Patented May 4, 1965 ice position with the inner side facing downwards and the inner side facing upwards respectively, viewed in the direction of the arrows A and B of FIG. l respectively.

A rear wall plate of sheet metal, hereinafter referred to as the rear wall, is designated by 10; it serves as carrier for the clockwork mechanism designated as to it general location by 11 diagrammatically, the gong block 12 with the gong rods 13 and the oval-conical diaphragm 14 as well as the transport safety and three-armed lever 15. All these parts form together a structural unit which is placed in the clock case (for example G in FIG. 2) from the rear side and fixed by means of screws S.

The rear wall 10 is approximately circular being about as high as it is wide and its lower portion 10a up to about one third of its height is bent over at an obtuse angle along an edge 10b, so that a free space 10c remains free between the rear wall of the clock and the wall W on which the clock is hung, the object of this space being to facilitate the radiation of sound (FIG. 2). The diaphragm 14 is fixed on this bent over lower portion 10a of the rear wall by means of an oval ring 16 and rivets 17. Sound holes 10a' are provided in the rear wall itself.

For 'holding the gong block 12, a foot 18 formed of sheet metal bent in U-shape is riveted on the rear wall l@ at 18a. The arms of the U-shaped foot are designated by 18b and 18e; their object will be hereinafter described.

On its upper side the foot 18 has a horizontally bent over flap 13d on which a spring 20 in the form of a figure 8 is riveted at 19. The elongated rod-shaped gong block 12 is fixed on this S-shaped spring by means of screws 21, 22 with its main plane perpendicular to the rear wall 10. The loop of the S-shaped spring located nearest the anchorage point 12a of the gong rods 13 has an extension arm 20a on the free end of which the diaphragm pin 23 is soldered. The extension or connecting arm 20a has a reinforcing longitudinal rib 20a; by suitably selecting the strength and/ or the elasticity of the 8-sl1aped spring the sound radiation can be inuenced to obtain either a loud, rapidly fading out strike or a slowly dying out strike. The connecting arm 20a can also be constructed as a separate part and soldered free from tension between the diaphragm pin 23 and the gong block holding spring 20. This facilitates the adjustment of a desired frequency range. The hammers striking in planes parallel to the rear wall are designated by 24 (FIG. l) and their respective shafts by 25.

For securing the striking mechanism and also enabling it to be cut out, a three-armed lever 15 is provided which is pivoted on the rear wall 10 by means of a shoulder screw 26. Two arms 15a and 15b of this lever are bent up at right angles to the rear wall 10 while the third arm 15e terminates in a kidney-shaped plate serving as dustexcluding cover for the arcuate slot 10e in the rear wall through which the lever actuating knob 15d passes. The knob 15d is located in a cupped depression 10]c FIG. 3, in the rear wall so as not to interfere with bearing of the rear wall against the wall on which the clock is hung. If the three-armed lever 15 is swung into the safety position shown in FIG. 1, when in the drawing it is turned counter to the clock hands, its arm 15a comes into contact with the gong rods 13 and presses these into notches 12b provided in the extensions 12b of the gong block for receiving them. Simultaneously with the pressing of the gong rod ends into the safety notches 12b', FIG. 4, the back 12C of the gong block is firmly pressed against the edges of the U-arms 18h and 18 of the foot 18 thereby bending the spring 2t) holding the gong block. At the same time the arm 15b lifts the striker hammers 24 on their shafts 24a so that the hammer cams (not shown in the drawings) are brought out of the range of the actuating elements and the clock striking mechanism is cut out.

3 The clockwork mechanism 11 (FIG. l) is fixed on the rear wall 10 by its pillars 11a at 10g (FIG. 3). 10h are sound holes in the rear wall; a cup-shaped depression 10i accommodates the screw 26 for the movement regulating aggregate 27; this aggregate is accessible for the purpose of rough regulation through an aperture 19k in the rear` Ving out towards a rear side of the clock, a gong block coupled to the diaphragm and provided with a plurality of gong rods disposed in a plane which is perpendicular to a plane of the edge of the diaphragm and the gong block being of elongated rod-shape with its long main axis and the longitudinal axis of the diaphragm edge being at right angles to each other and the elongated gong block and the gong rods being provided adjacent the diaphragm and therewith the clockwork mechanism.

2. Striking clock according to claim 1, wherein in which a transport safety lever is provided pivoted on the rear wall and the gong block is extended beyond a xation point on the rear wall plate and has at its end notches open towards the gong rod plane and into which the gong rods can be positively pressed by means of a transport safety lever.

3. Striking clock according to claim 1, wherein a foot isy provided on the rear wall plate and a flat -shaped spring is provided mounted on the foot, the gong block being xed approximately in the middle of itslength on the foot on the rear wall plate by means of the at spring 4 in the shape of the figure the iixation point of the foot being located in the middle of the 8 and the block iixation points outside of the loops of the 8.

4. Striking clock according to claim 1, wherein an extension arm for the gong block xation spring is provided on one of the loops of the 8, and said arm carries the diaphragm pin on its end. Y

5. Striking clock according to claim l, wherein supports and a foot are provided for the gong block on the foot when the gong rods are in safety position for transport.

6. Striking clock according to claim 1, wherein an arm is provided on a safety lever for transport, said arm holding the hammers out of the range of their operating elements.

7. Striking clock according to claim 1, in Which the diaphragm has a base surface and the striking clock is constructed as a wall clock, wherein the diaphragm base surface of the wall plate is set at an obtuse angle to the main surface and open towards the interior of the case.

8. Striking clock according to claim l, wherein the gong block with its gong rods .at the fixation ends extends along the long axis of the diaphragm opening.

Reterences Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,742,875 4/56 Junghans etal 116--169 2,793,608 5/57 Junghans et al. 58-13 FOREIGN PATENTSY 641,552 4/28 France.

LOUIS J. CAPOZI, Primary Examiner.

LEO SMILOW, Examiner. 

1. STRIKING CLOCK WITH A CLOCKWORK MECHANISM AND HAVING AN EXTREMELY FLAT HOUSING, COMPRISING A REAR WALL PLATE TO ACT AS CARRIER FOR THE CLOCKWORK MECHANISM, AN OVALCONICAL DIAPHRAGM SECURED TO THE SAID WALL PLATE AND OPENING OUT TOWARDS A REAR SIDE OF THE CLOCK, A GONG BLOCK COUPLED TO THE DIAPHRAGM AND PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF GONG RODS DISPOSED IN A PLANE WHICH A PERPENDICULAR TO A PLANE OF THE EDGE OF THE DIAPHRAGM AND THE GONG BLOCK BEING OF ELONGATED ROD-SHAPE WITH ITS LONG MAIN AXIS AND THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE DIAPHRAGM EDGE BEING AT RIGHT ANGLES TO EACH OTHER AND THE ELONGATED GONG BLOCK AND THE GONG RODS BEING PROVIDED ADJACENT THE DIAPHRAGM AND THEREWITH THE CLOCKWORK MECHANISM. 